


Seven dates of Christmas

by Swen and Chill (anotherouatwriter)



Series: Baby, it's cold outside. [24]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Blind Date, F/F, Stuck in time, Time Loop, countdown to christmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9037739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherouatwriter/pseuds/Swen%20and%20Chill
Summary: Regina finds herself reliving Christmas Eve (including a blind date with a woman named Emma) over and over again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the summary of the movie, "12 dates of Christmas" but I haven't seen the movie so I don't know anything further than those few words.
> 
> AU - No magical Storybrooke

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 1_ -

Regina studied the woman in front of her. Out of all the woman Kathryn could set her up for the Christmas Eve party, she had chosen ... this. And there's no other way to describe Emma Swan other than with a 'this' because Emma Swan arrived late to their date, with her hair up in a messy bun (and not a fashionable messy, but more of a "I just came out of the shower" bun) and a child attached to her leg.

Sure, Emma Swan was pretty, even in her current state, but at least the woman could put a little more effort into it.

"I'm sorry," Emma said as she wiped her toddler's face for the umpteenth time, "The nanny cancelled and -"

"There's no need to apologize, Miss Swan," Regina said as she asked the waitress to get the check, "This whole evening was a mistake so why don't we call it a night and agree on never seeing each other again."

"But -"

The waitress brought the check and Regina paid for the three meals, even though the two had been left untouched and the other was mostly on the tablecloth rather than in the child's stomach. Emma had protested about it, but Regina just ignored it. The sooner she was done with this, the sooner she'd be home.

She didn't say goodbye to Emma. She just started walking away.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 2._ -

Regina had woken up with a start that day. Already hating the fact that she'd have to go upstate and spend the day with her mother, sister, and her sister's family.

However, when she checked her phone, she noticed the date. And, it couldn't be. She checked her laptop, the newspaper and they all said the same date.

The phone rang two times before she picked it up. Just like yesterday.

"Regina Mills," her best friend's menacing tone reverberated through the speaker and Regina was not ready to hear all about how she had broken Emma's heart, "I really hope you are not planning on standing Emma up."

And, Regina found herself again at the same restaurant, at the same time, with the same conclusions. Not because she cared on whether she stood Emma up or not, but because she wanted to see if Emma ware aware of the loop or if she was going crazy.

Emma didn't remember anything. At least, she didn't remember that she had already watched Regina walked away.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 3._ -

Regina Mills growled when she realized it was the day before Christmas. _Again._ And it was official, December 24th was Regina's most hated day of the year.

She picked up the phone before it even rang and placed it close to her ear, ready to answer it as soon as Kathryn called.

"Regina Mills. I really hope you are not planning on standing Emma up."

Well, that's an idea. So she stayed at home and prayed to all the gods she found on Google to end this loop.

Around midnight, she got a text message from Kathryn, announcing she was mad at Regina for not going to meet Emma. The brunette imagined the blonde making her way with the toddler into the restaurant to find an empty table, to wait and wait for Regina to come. And eventually pay for the bill and go home, not knowing what she had done wrong.

Guilt ate Regina up.

She didn't feel at ease that night.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 4._ -

Regina decided to have a day in bed when she realized it was not Christmas. Suddenly, spending the day with her family seemed rather appealing. She let Kathryn's call to go to voicemail, already having memorized the message by heart.

This time, Regina went to her date with Emma. She tried to be better towards Emma and tried to get to know the blonde a little bit better.

Turns out Emma had Henry, which was the toddler's name, when she was eighteen. Her parents kicked her out of the house and she had moved in with her best friend, who also served as Henry's nanny, and who was supposed to take care of him but had fallen ill that morning.

Emma met Kathryn at work. Emma worked as a web designer and Kathryn was a client of Emma. They became close friends because Henry and Kathryn's son, Fred, were the same age.

After they finished their dishes, Regina offered to pay. This time, she hadn't done it out of impatience, but, she had really enjoyed her time with Emma.

Regina waved the blonde good-bye and walked back home with a small smile on her face. Maybe, Emma was not so bad after all.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 5._ -

The first thing she did when she opened her eyes was to check the date on the phone.

December 24th, 2016

_Shocker._

Regina thought that enjoying her date with Emma would end the loop. She was wrong.

She still met with Emma at the restaurant. And, their dinner was better than the night before.

Emma talked about her troubled childhood, how she bounced from house to house, how the Swans had adopted her when she was fifteen, and how she grew to love them as her parents until she became pregnant. She couldn't get rid of Henry and decided to keep him.

Regina, in exchange, told Emma about her parents about how strict her mother was and how loving her father was. She told Emma about a half-sister she didn't meet until she was seventeen, and how said sister had stolen away Regina's fiancee. How it took her a long time until she got over that.

And, the night was over too soon for Regina, who was lost in Emma's green eyes.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 6._ -

Regina decided she had to take matters into her own hands or she'd be relieving the same day over and over again until the end of eternity.

"Kathryn."

"Weird, I was about to call you."

"Yes, to tell me not to stand Emma up," Regina brushed it off as if it was nothing big, "I need you to give me her phone number."

"Why?" Kathryn sounded suspicious, "So you can cancel the date?"

"No, I just want to change the restaurant."

"You love Roberto's."

"Just give me her number, Kathryn."

A couple of minutes later, she found herself pacing from one side to the other one, waiting for Emma to pick up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Emma?" Regina asked, "Good morning, it's Regina."

"You're not calling to cancel, are you?"

Regina chuckled, "No, I was actually wondering if you want to go to a child-friendly place?" Regina suggested. And yes, she didn't have any excuse just in case Emma asked how Regina knew about Henry, but she found that she didn't care. If Regina did something wrong, she'll have another chance when the day loops.

"Um… that would be amazing, actually," Emma answered, not even noticing that Regina had a piece of information that she hasn't volunteered just yet. She probably assumed Kathryn said something. "My best friend/nanny just called me, telling me she was sick."

"Well, Fred has a fair share of toys at my place. I'm sure Henry will enjoy them," Regina offered,

"Oh, we couldn't impose! If it's too much with Henry, we can always postpone it."

"Nonsense. I have the feeling I'll enjoy your company and I love to cook."

Regina found out later that she did enjoy the company, from both Emma and Henry. And when it was time to leave, she walked Emma, who was carrying a sleeping Henry, to the door. After, when she was alone in her apartment, she realized that the place was too quiet. She wondered how she had never noticed it before.

\- Saturday, December 24th. _Take 7. -_

Regina woke up earlier than usual and used the extra time to study the ceiling, wondering what should be her next tactic. She suspected that the day would keep on looping as long as her date with Emma wasn't perfect, but she didn't understand why they were still stuck on the 24th. She had really enjoyed spending time with Emma and Henry.

And Henry. She felt a light bulb turn on. That was the problem. She hadn't enjoyed a date with Emma because the blonde was always with the toddler. Not that Henry was anything but charming, but it was not the same.

"Hello, Kathryn."

"Weird, I was about to call you."

"I need you to babysit her son."

"She has a babysitter, you know?"

"I have a feeling she needs someone. Just call and ask."

And so, on the seventh night of their loop, Regina got to the restaurant, only to find Emma was already waiting for her with a bottle of wine already breathing. Not only she put make up and an extra effort on her hair, the blonde also arrived earlier.

"I think you must have a psychic superpower," Emma commented after introductions were made, "One moment, I'm panicking because one minute, my babysitter tells me she is sick and the next minute, Kathryn is calling me, telling me that you had a hunch. If she didn't call, I would have shown up with Henry here."

"I wouldn't have minded," Regina said, gently. She really wouldn't have, not anymore, not when she already knew Emma.

"Bringing your toddler to a first date doesn't make a good, first impression," the blonde pointed out and Regina chuckled, because Emma would never know how true that statement was.

They changed to other topics after that. Some of them were repeated topics, at least to Regina, and some of them were brand new information for both of them. Once again, the evening passed by in a blink of an eye. It wasn't until Regina was walking Emma back to her car that she realized how lovely her nights have been ever since she met Emma.

"This is me," she pointed to a yellow car, but didn't immediately put some distance between herself and Regina, "I had a great time tonight."

"Me too," Regina smiled.

"We should do this again," Emma proposed, "Preferably when I don't have to pick up Henry and place the gifts under the Christmas tree."

Regina nodded, hoping there would be a day when Henry's nanny was not sick and it was not Christmas and then, they could have a normal date.

"Good night, Regina," Emma said before leaning in and softly pressing her lips against Regina's for a few seconds.

"Good night, Emma," Regina repeated after the blonde had gotten into the bug and drove away.

\- Sunday, December 25th -

A text message woke her up the next day.

"Merry Christmas, Regina! If you don't feel like spending Christmas with your mother and sister, you can always come to my place and celebrate with us."

Regina studied the text with a wide smile on her face as she weighted her options. Then, she called her mother to let her know she'd visit some other day.

**Author's Note:**

> So, we've reached the end of the countdown! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed and left kudos! 
> 
> And a big special thanks to my beta Chris, to whom I dump a great deal of... well, life, and she helps me with everything. I love you :) 
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!


End file.
